Gbarnga City Solicitor Faces Justice

By: Jefferson Massah

 

Forum
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

Posted March 23, 2006

 

Bong County City Solicitor, Prince Mulbah Jackson has been dragged into legal battle at the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga on charges of misapplication of entrusted property.

The lawsuit which was filed by Bong County Attorney Johnny Bemah, is in keeping with Section 15.56 of the new panel code of Liberia. It is geared toward seeking a redress to the city solicitor’s persistent refusal to account for a barrel of marijuana he reportedly received from the police as the Fruit Of a Crime(FOC) months ago.

On several occasions the city solicitor has been requested to make available the marijuana to be destroyed in the public to lay the case to rest, but has continued to play deaf ears to the county attorney’s request which left Judge Bemah with no other alternative but to file a lawsuit against the city solicitor.

Solicitor Jackson, according to report gathered had already filed a criminal appearance bond and is expected in court very soon to face prosecution in conformity with the laws of the Republic of Liberia.

The marijuana case started last November when police in Totota arrested a taxi traveling from Ganta that was heading for Monrovia with a barrel of the substance. The real owner of the drug reportedly escaped but the driver of the vehicle one Samuel Daki was arrested, sent to Gbarnga and charged with criminal facilitation.

After the case was sent to the court, the city solicitor few days later released the driver on grounds that he was not the actual owner of the harmful drug as such he could not face prosecution following which the marijuana remained in the custody of the court.

It was later established that the city solicitor allegedly sold the drug with the consent of some senior officials of the magisterial court. This prompted the county attorney to pursue the actual circumstances surrounding the case.

It can be recalled that twelve Liberian journalists were in January ordered arrested and detained in Gbarnga by Solicitor Jackson for reporting stories on the case. However, charges against the journalists were dropped because the state had no evidence to prosecute them.

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